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Air Pollution

Answer

The annual absolute carbon emissions of the House of Commons estate in each of the last three years from gas and electricity are in the following table.

Absolute carbon emissions in tonnes
	Gas	Electricity	Total
2003-04	1,158.9	2,257.6	3,416.5
2004-05	1,078.8	2,270.3	3,349.0
2005-06	1,163.1	2,302.7	3,465.8

Gas consumption reduced in 2004-05 and then increased in 2005-06; due to fluctuations in heating energy consumption caused by variations in outside temperatures measured in degree days. The following table shows the degree days for the Thames Valley region which includes London. From these figures a higher emission would have been expected in 2005-06. That it was not so is due to the installation of more efficient Palace boilers in 2004.

Degree Days
	Number
2003-04	1,740
2004-05	1,703
2005-06	1,869

The steady increase in carbon emissions from electricity was due to an increase in electricity consumption in the Palace and 7 Millbank. This was due mainly to the installation and usage of more air conditioning units.The figures have been calculated from gas and electricity invoices and not meter readings taken by estate staff, but estimated invoices were amended using actual meter readings where possible. Natural gas invoices list several multiplying factors used to calculate each month's consumption and the existing monitoring and targeting system used on the parliamentary estate, based on staff meter readings, is not as sophisticated and therefore not as accurate.The figures for the years 2001-02 and 2002-03 have not been calculated since the energy invoices for those two years are not readily available.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

120553; 458 c1229-30W

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Air pollution Carbon emissions Parliamentary estate

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk